1 62 J. F. MCCLENDOX. 



It has been shown that narcosis is accompanied by decreased 

 permeability. On the other hand, certain forms of inhibition 

 of muscle are accompanied by an increase in permeability. 

 May certain cells be inhibited in proliferation by an increase 

 in permeability, too great for cell division but not great enough 

 for cytolysis? The great oxidation rate in eggs inhibited in 

 cleavage by very hypertonic solutions as determined by Warburg, 

 seem to indicate this. 



It has been shown that certain tissue cells inhibit the pro- 

 liferation of others. In the healing of wounds, the epidermis 

 inhibits the growth of connective tissue. If a wound remains 

 uncovered by epidermis for a relatively long time, processes of 

 connective tissue may grow outward, but this is prevented by 

 the growth or transplantation of epidermis over the wound. 



Perhaps the proliferation of the connective tissue is due to 

 abnormal "stimuli" (bio-electric currents, diffusion of sub- 

 stances) such as cause proliferation in regenerating tissue gen- 

 erally. The presence of epidermis over the wound might protect 

 the connective tissue from these "stimuli." 



The foregoing facts and the speculations based on them may 

 not be of far-reaching importance in themselves, but they suggest 

 lines of research, which if followed, it is hoped, will add a great 

 deal to cell physiology and pathology and be an aid to the under- 

 standing of many problems in therapeutics. 



